Feather boa.



No. 688,455. Patented Dec. 10, MN.

A. WURZBURGEB.

.FEATHER BOA.

(Application filed. Sept. 13, 1901.)

(No Model.)

INVENTOR WITNESSES: W

ATTORNEYS -rm: NORRIS Perms o0, Pramuumu, wunlnm'on. By 0.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPH WURZBURGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FEATHER BOA- SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,455, dated December 10, 1%)01.

Application filed September 13,1901- Serial No. 76,254. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, ADOLPH WURZBURGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feather Boas and other Articles Made of Feathers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to articles made of feathers, and particularly feather boas, and has for its object to so manufacture articles of the above-indicated class that they will be light, flexible, strong, durable, keeping their shape, and not liable to scratch the wearers necks by projecting quill-points. My process of manufacture is also cheaper, shorter, and simpler than those now employed. For this purpose I proceed in the manufacture of feather articles, and particularlyboas, as fully described hereinafter and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which--- Figure 1 is a cross-section of a feather in its raw or original condition. Fig. 2 shows the same feather with its quill cut lengthwise and pared down. Fig. 3 shows a series of feathers basted to a tape. Fig. 4 is a crosssection of the feather article after the tape and feathers have been sewed together. Fig. 5 is a plan of a portion of theflnished arti 010, and Fig. 6 is a plan showing how the individual feather sections may be placed together for basting them to the tape.

In carrying out my invention I take natural ostrich-feathers, Fig. 1, having a quillA and flues B, and pare or shave the stiff central rib or quill down as far as this can be done without, detaching the dues from the quill. In the drawings I have for the sake of clearness considerably exaggerated the dimensions of the pared or trimmed quills or ribs A; but it will be understood that in actual practice what remains of the quill is only just enough to hold the flues B together. As shown in Fig. 2, each rib A has flues B on one side only. I then a take silk, cotton, or other tape, ribbon, or other strip of pliable, preferably thin, material C and stretch the same on a suitable support, as a table, and on top of this tape (it being understood or for other purposes.

thatequivalents are included under this term) I place the'feat-hers with their ribs A running lengthwise and abutting against each other over the center of the tape. It is not necessary that the ends of the abutting sections or ribs should aline with each other. In fact, they may break joints, as illustrated by Fig. 6, so that feather sections of difierent lengths may be employed, it being of course understood that the free extremities of the end sections of the article aline with each other. The tape 0 preferably projects at both ends of the article, as indicated for one end 0 at the lower portion of Fig. 5, forming a convenient means for handling the boa or other article, or for the application of fastening devices. According to the desired thickness of the article I may employ a single layer of feathers or a plurality of-them for instance, fouras shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The feathers and tape arranged as described are then basted together in one op-' eration, as indicated at D in Figs. 3 and 6. The strip of connected feathers thus produced is then passed through a sewing= machine working with a rotary stitch, as shown at E in Figs. 4 and 5. This sews the feathers closely together and at the same time unites them firmly with the tape, which latter is crushed 'or folded by the thread E,'as shown in Fig. 4. The rotary-stitch Works so closely that it catches almost every individual flue B and binds it to the tape 0, thus making it practically impossible for any flue or piece of feather to come out and preventing the feather sections from The article thus produced is a feather strip or feather band capable of use as a trimming To convert such strip into a boa, it is first steamed to further soften the quills and flues and then twisted either by hand or by machine. Incidentally the steaming also softens the glue contained in the fabric of which the tape 0 is made, which glue again hardens after the twisting,and thus contributes to boa. The tape and thread, which of course are the portions of the boa that take and retain the twist, being of very thin pliable materials and not having their flexibility impaired by being connected with stifi materials slipping off the. tape.

preserve the form given to the are easily twisted and readily retain their shape. Finally the boa is curled and is then ready for the market.

The improved process of manufacture is much simpler and shorter, and consequently cheaper, than the usual practice, and the article is far superior to those made according to the ordinary procedure. from the defects generally found in feather boas-their heaviness, stiffness, ungraceful appearance, lack of durability, tendency to untwist, and liability to scratch the necks of thewearers. Myimprovedboaisexceedingly light, very elastic, pliable, graceful, durable, and comfortable.

Iclaim asmyinvention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. As a new article of manufacture, a featherarticle comprising contiguous feather sections having longitudinally-abutting ribs, a tape extending lengthwise of the ribs, and stitching or thread extending around the ribs and tape, the edge portions of the latter being crushed or folded within said stitching or thread.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a

lhe article is free featherartiele comprising contiguous feather sections having longitudinally-abutting ribs, a tape extendinglengthwise of the ribs, abasting thread or stitching extending around the ribs and through the tape in such a manner as to leave projecting edge portions of the tape outside of the basting-thread, and a securing thread or stitching extending around the tape and ribs and engaging the attached ends of the fines, the edge portions of said tape being crushed or folded against the central portion of the tape.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a featherarticle comprising contiguous feather sections having abutting ribs, a tape extending lengthwise of the ribs, and a securing thread or stitching extending around the tape and ribs and having its adjacent turns or courses located very closely together so as to engage practically every flue where the latter is attached to the rib.

ADOLPH WURZBURGER.

Witnesses:

EDWARD R. M. VANNETT, EUGENE EBLE. 

